20 Craps Terms You Must Know Before Playing

Craps is a very unique and specific casino game and, as such, comes with a lot of unique lingo and terms. When you add to this the fast-paced and exciting atmosphere of the craps table, it’s easy to feel out of place if you’re playing without a fundamental understanding of the basic craps terms.

But don’t worry, as you’ve come to the right place! On this page, we’ll cover 20 must-know craps terms that will enable you to enjoy an immersive and entertaining gambling experience and make you sound like a pro at the craps table.

Any Craps

The Any Craps bet is a one-roll wager that the shooter will roll either a 2, 3, or 12. In most casinos, the Any Craps pays 7 to 1.

Any Seven

The Any Seven bet in craps is a one-roll bet that the number 7 will be produced on the next roll. This bet pays 4:1 in most casinos.

Come Out Roll

The come-out roll in craps is the first roll in the new betting round.

Crapless Craps

Crapless craps is a craps variation in which you can’t lose on the come-out roll. This is because numbers 2, 3, 11, and 12 are converted to point numbers in this version of the game.

Craps

Besides being the name of the game, the term craps also refers to rolling a 2, 3, or 12.

Don’t Come

The don’t come bet in craps wagers that the shooter will roll a 2, 3, or 12 before the point number is rolled again. It is the reverse of the craps come bet.

Don’t Pass

The don’t pass bet is similar to the don’t come one but is placed before the come-out roll instead of after it. It wins if the shooter doesn’t establish their point and rolls either a 2, 3, or 12.

Field

The field is an area of the craps table displaying numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12. If you place a field bet and any of these numbers are rolled, you are paid 2:1 for a 2 or 12 combination or 1:1 for a 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11.

Hardway

Hardway is a craps term for rolling the dice to produce two matching numbers, for example, two threes or two fives. Hardway bets offer good payouts but have a high house edge.

Lay Bet

A lay bet is a wager that the number 7 will be rolled before the number you place your lay bet on. You can bet this on numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.

Natural

A natural in craps is when the shooter rolls either a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll.

Odds Bet

An odds bet is an additional bet that has no house edge and pays at true odds but must be placed along with another craps bet. In terms of craps strategy, this is one of the smartest bets to place.

Pass Line

A pass line bet is a craps wager placed before the shooter’s come-out roll. This bet wins if the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 and loses if they roll a 2, 3, or 12. If the shooter rolls any other number, this becomes the point, and you win the pass line bet if they roll it again before they roll a 7.

Pit

The pit is an area of the casino where craps tables are located, along with other casino table games. This casino employee who oversees this area is called the pit boss.

Place Bet

A place bet is a wager that the shooter will roll a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 before they roll a 7.

Point

The point is the value that the shooter establishes on their come-out roll. This can be a dice combination totaling 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. If the point is rolled, the shooter must roll it again before rolling a 7 in order for the bet to win.

Rail

The rail is the area around the top perimeter of the craps table. This is where every player at the table keeps their chips.

Shooter

The shooter in craps is the player whose turn it is to roll the craps dice.

Stickman

The stickman is one of the casino employees running the craps table. They are in charge of taking the bets from players and paying them when they win, as well as collecting and moving the dice with an elongated wooden stick, hence their nickname.

Yo

The craps slang term “Yo” refers to the number 11. A bet on 11 is often called a Yo-bet or Yo-leven, as this pronunciation eliminates the confusion that could arise from 11 sounding similar to 7.